Rallies were held across the country on Saturday, including one in Alexandria, which has been traditionally hostile to more gun laws.

Peter Reed, who lost his daughter, Mary, in the Virginia Tech massacre, spoke to the crowd on stage.

"Stand up to independence and vote for background checks to save lives. i say to the world you may be one person, but to one person, we may be the world," Reed said.

The vigil was modest but the emotions were very real.

"I have not forgotten. We have not forgotten," he added. "And I know that none of you will ever forget."

He was joined by several hundred gun control activists from Virginia who pulled for gun control measures.

"We need to do something about this. we need to take action as individuals and as moms," said an attendee.

"We're a church in the community who have young people who go to schools following some of this senseless gun violence. we've had young people frightened about what may happen when they go to schools. we have a responsibility to continue to place community interest above our self interest," another said.

But many of the Democrats acknowledge that gun control is a tough sell in Virginia.

"Even those in loud near and a few in Fairfax County are opposed to it. the Virginia legislature is dominated by them today."

In fact, some against gun control faced off with the ralliers but that didn't stop activists from sending tweets, text messages and voice mails to their lawmakers during the event.

The gun control activists are hoping they will overcome in their efforts to pass gun control legislation in Congress.